Corrie’s Kirk star opens up on romance with wife and ‘punching above my weight’

Coronation Street’s Andy Whyment has been married to wife Nichola since 2007, but she didn’t think much of him when they first met in 2004

Coronation Street‘s Andy Whyment stands as a soap icon, portraying Kirk Sutherland.

Andy rose to stardom upon joining the ITV drama in 2000 as Kirk Sutherland, brother to Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon). It’s safe to say he swiftly established himself as a beloved character with the show’s fans.

Renowned for his witty quips and endearing nature, Kirk has featured in numerous major plotlines throughout his tenure on the cobbles.

From his turbulent relationship with Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) to discovering romance with Beth Tinker (Lisa George) – which ultimately concluded – Kirk’s journey in Weatherfield has been packed with excitement.

Beyond the soap, actor Andy enjoys marital bliss with his long-standing wife Nichola, whom he encountered in 2004. Speaking previously, Andy raved about Nichola, telling OK! “I’ve been punching above my weight for years – she’s gorgeous! I’m a very lucky bloke,” reports the Mirror.

He also reminisced about first encountering his future spouse. Andy explained: “I fancied Nic for some time, but nothing happened.

“Then we copped off one night, and it wasn’t too long before I realised she was the one I wanted to be with. I said in my wedding speech, you just know when you meet the one, and that’s true.”

Regarding Nichola, her initial impression of Andy was that he seemed “a bit of an idiot” upon meeting him, requiring a “good few months” before she developed feelings. She continued: “He was single and sharing a place with Al (Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street). He was just giving it big time and not doing what I wanted him to do.”

Their relationship blossomed, and Andy popped the question to Nichola on a beach during a holiday in Monte Carlo. The couple then exchanged vows in 2007 in a romantic ceremony attended by his co-stars, including Tina O’Brien, Ryan Thomas and Samia Longchambon.

Andy and Nichola went on to have two children. Tom was born on 12 October 2008, followed by Hollie two years later on 9 October 2010.

Despite being a doting dad, Andy has previously disclosed that he won’t be expanding his family after having a vasectomy.

He revealed to OK: “There’s no chance of having any more kids as I had the snip a few years ago. We said we wanted two kids, and we have been really fortunate to have a boy and a girl.”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX